Marine apparatus



Aug. 12, 1958 g. F. PELHAM MARINE APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan, 21, 1955' "Flan opoooozoooo 12 g 79 Il L Gbfogbooo ATTORNYS Aug. 12, 1958 G. F.` PELHAM l 2,846,851

" MARINE APPARATUS Filed Jan. 21, 1.955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.. 4 12 73 /42 INVENTOR.

, Gea/ye 'eaf//am I BY s i l ATTORNEYS G. F. PELHAM MARINE APPARATUS Ali-g. 12,1958

Filed Jan. 21, 1955 .3 Sheets-Sheet '3 ne, 7

INVENTOR. Georye ''eq Pe/Zam BY M Mh ATTORNEYS Fla. 9

United States Patent O MARINE APPARATUS George Fred Pelham, Scarsdale, N. Y.

Application January 21, 1955, Serial No. 483,207

4 Claims. (Cl. 61-46.5)

This invention relates generally to improvements in marine apparatus and, more particularly, to improvements in marine apparatus adaped to be iirmly Supported in position above the water line for underwater operations, such as underwater oil drilling operations.

In the conventional anchorage of marine apparatus for underwater operations in position above the water line, to the underwater ground, in which supports are utilized which extend from above the water line to a point at or near the surface of the underwater ground, with said supports being adapted to be secured to the underwater ground through the intermediation of piles driven into the underwater ground or in any other suitable manner, it will be apparent that such supports are of a very substantial overall length, especially when the apparatus is adapted for drilling operations in deep water, and accordingly when such apparatus is in a iioating position in which the supports are withdrawn or substantially withdrawn from the water, such supports extend for very substantial heights above the apparatus thereby rendering top heaviness and instability thereto. It is accordingly an important aim and object of the present invention to provide an arrangement for firmly supporting apparatus of the `aforenoted character in position above the water line in which the heretofore mentioned deficiencies and disadvantages of such conventional anchorage arrangements lare obviated.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a generally improved anchorage arrangement for marine apparatus adapted for underwater operations which includes supports that are readily and facilely movable between an apparatus supporting disposition and an apparatus iloating disposition, said supports when in said latter position being disposed so as to substantially minimize the top-heaviness and instability of heretofore used apparatus having supports of the general character referred to above.

Another important object of the present invention is the provision of an improved arrangement for raising and lowering apparatus of the aforenoted character between a iloating position and positions above the water line, said arrangement utilizing natural forces entirely or primarily and consequently eliminating or minimizing the need of special machinery normally required for such operations.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved raising and lowering system of the character described above which includes a structural arrangement that imparts substantial additional stability to the apparatus when the latter is supported in position above the water line.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of an improved method of anchoring marine apparatus of the aforenoted character relative to the underwater ground and for 4controllably raising and lowering such apparatus between a floating position and positions above the water line in the anchored condition thereof.

Yet another object of the present invention is the pro- Patented Aug. 12, 1958 ice vision of generally improved marine apparatus of the aforenoted character which is adapted to be irmly supported in position above the water line land which is `adapted to be quickly and facilely released from such supported position for movement by flotation to a new location.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

` In the drawings which illustrate the best mode now contemplated by me for carrying out my invention:

Fig. 1 is an end elevational view of the marine apparatus according to the present invention, with such apparatus shown in a oating non-anchored condition;

Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. l with the supports for the apparatus shown in a partially lowered or extended condition;

Fig. 3 is a view `similar to Fig. 2 with the marine apparatus shown anchored in position above the high wave water line;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of encircled area 5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 7;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged view of encircled area 9 of Fig. 7;

Fig. l0 is an enlarged view of encircled area 10 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, there is shown oating marine apparatus 10 for underwater operations, said apparatus comprising a floating barge 12, or the like, which may be of any suitable design and construction so as to support the required heavy equipment for oil drilling operations in deep water and other operations of a sub-aqueous character. It will also be apparent that the floating barge 12 may be of any desired coniiguration and, if desired, may be formed of a plurality of suitably integrated sections, said barge having a working deck or platform 14 which supports the derrick 16 and other equipment for oil drilling operations under deep water. The barge 12 may have any desired number of decks below the working platform 14 and-it will be understood that said barge may include living quarters for the crew. Supported in relation to the working platform 14 of the barge 12, in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter, is an elevated vauxiliary platform 18 which constitutes an elevated machinery deck. It is to be understood that the floating barge 12 may include any desired number of decks or platforms so as to support the machinery and equipment incident to the drilling operation and said decks or platforms may be arranged in any desired manner. In Fig. 1 the marine apparatus 10 is shown in a floating non-anchored condition in which such apparatus is adapted to be floated to a desired drilling location and when such desired location is reached, said apparatus is adapted to be firmly supported above the high-wave water line as shown in Fig. 3, in the manner to be described in detail hereinafter.

yIn order to support the floating barge 10 above the high-Wave water line at the desired location, there is provided a plurality of laterally spaced ve-rtically extending llongitudinally contractible and extensible tubular `supports 20, there being provided four of such tubular supports in the illustrated embodiment. Each of the supports are of identical construction and are operatively associated lwith the barge 12 in an identical manner, and accordingly only one of such supports will be described in detail hereinafter. The barge l2 is provided with openings 22 extending therethrough for the reception of companion tubular supports 2li, said openings being defined by the `tubular members 24 which are suitably secured to adjacent frame structure 2S of the barge in any suitable manner, for example 'by means of welds 26. The support '20 (Figs. 1 3 and 7) comprises a plurality of telescopically arranged longitudinally extending tubular support members 30, 32 and 34, said support members being relatively longitudinally extensible from the contracted disposition shown in Figs. l and 7 to the `supporting extended disposition shown in Fig. 3. When the barge 12 is in a fioating position, the support members 30, 32 and 34 are fully contracted and have substantial flengths thereof disposed above the normal water line L, it being observed that in this contracted disposition the overall length or height of the support 2f) is not substantially greater than the overall length or Iheight of the outermost support member 30 and is substantially less than the maximum extensibility of said support downwardly of the barge. The upper machinery deck 18 is supported in relation to the barge 12 by means of the support members 30, said machinery deck or platform bein-g suitably Isecured to the upper ends of said support members in any suitable manner, for example by means of the peripheral welds 36. VIt will be observed that the deck 18 is provided with a suitable opening 19 for the extension therethrough of the derrick 16. The support members 30 are releasably secured in fixed relation with the barge 12, in the floating position of the latter, in any suitable manner, for example by means of the `sleeves 38 which are 'adapted to abut the upper ends 4t) of the tubular members 24 and to thus limit the movement of said members 30 downwardly of the barge. The stop ring 38 may be of any suitable design and construction, for example, a conventional split ring which may be releasably secured in position on the outer peripheral surface of the support member 3f), in any suitable manner as by means of clamping, welding or the like. Accordingly, the interengagement of the lstop ring 38 with the peripheral end edge 40 of member 24 will limit the movement of the support member 30 in a downward direction as shown in Fig. 7.

The support member 30, in the region of the upper end thereof, is provided with an internal periplierally extending raised part 42 (Figs. 7 and l0) and the tubular members 32 and 34 terminate at their upper ends in complementary interengaging fittings 44 and 46, respectively, said fittings and said raised part being adapted for interengaging relation as shown in Fig. 7 when the barge is in a floating position with the support 20 being in a fully contracted condition. Accordingly, the interengagement of the fitting 44 with part 42 which constitutes a stop ring serves to limit the upward or contracting movement of the support member 32 and the interengagement of the fitting 46 with the fitting 44 similarly serves to limit the upward or contracting movement of the lowermost support member 34. The lowermost tubular member 34 is provided with an internal apertured fitting 48 at the upper end thereof so that the lifting of such member by means of said fitting will be effective to raise the fittings 44 and 46 into interengaging relation with the stop ring 42 whereby the raising of the lowermost member will be effective to raise the latter and an adjacent member into their floating contracted position. The members 32 and 34 may be releasably maintained in their floating or contracted position, as shown in Fig. 7, in any suitable manner, for example, by securing the fitting 48 to the member 30 or to any suitable support point on the barge. The members 32 and 34 may be controllably lowered and raised between extended and contracted conditions by any suitable lifting apparatus 47 4 mounted on deck '18 and having a cable 49 connected to the fitting 48 and operatively associated with a pulley 51 suitably mounted at the top of member 30. If desired, the apparatus 47 may be utilized for releasably maintaining the members 32 and 34 in their contracted condition by means of cable 49 connected to fitting 48. Each of the supports 20 may have a companion lifting device 47 associated therewith with all of the lifting devices being operated in synchronism for uniformly extending and contracting said supports or each of said supports may have a single common lifting device associated therewith which provides for the uniform extension and contraction of said supports. From the above it will be apparent that the members 30, 32 and 34 are disposed in a releasably contracted position, as shown in Fig. 7, in the floating position of the barge. It will also be apparent that in the telescopically fully contracted position of the support members 39, 32 and 34, the overall length of such members is not substantially greater than the length of the outermost member 30 and is substantially less than the maximum extensibility of said members and accordingly, this arrangement of the support members substantially minimizes the top-heaviness and instability ofthe barge in the fioating position thereof.

In practice, when the apparatus 10 is fioated to the desired drilling location, such apparatus is firmly anchored in position by means of the support members 30, 32 and 34 which are telescopically extended as shown in Fig. 3 and suitably anchored to the underwater ground G. More particularly, the members 32 and 34 are rcleased from support relative to the members 30 and said members 32 and 34 are longitudinally extended in the marmer described above so that the ends 50 of the lowermost members 34 are disposed a short distance above the underwater ground level L'. It will be apparent that the members 3h, 32 and 34 may be of any desired preselected length and that any number of such members may be utilized corresponding to the water depth at the drilling location, the number and length of such members being predetermined in accordance with the range of water depths at the drilling sites. Thus the member 32 is lowered relative to the uppermost and outermost member 30 until the fitting 44 engages the internal shoulder 52 at the lower end of the member 30 and similarly the member 34 is lowered relative to the member 32 until the fitting 46 interengages with the interna1 shoulder 54 at the lower end of the member 32. Accordingly, the internal peripherally extending shoulders 52 and 54 of the members 3f) and 32, respectively, limit the extensibility of the members 32 and 34. In Fig. 2, the support members 32 are shown in a partially lowered or extended position in broken lines. The joints between the fitting 46 and the shoulder 54 and the fitting 44 and the shoulder 52 are made watertight or substantially watertight in any suitable manner as by means of the split rings 55 which are detachably mounted to the members 32 and 34 in any suitable manner as by means of clamping, welding, or the like. It will also be apparent that the members 30, 32 and 34 may be welded to each other at their interconnections in the extended condition thereof so as to provide watertight joints.

The support members 3), 32 and 34 of each support 20 are secured to the underwater ground G when in their extended position by means of the piles S6 which are driven into the underwater ground from within said support members. The piles 56 may be of any desired length and extend into the ground G from thc interior 57 of supports 20 a substantial distance. The piles 56 may be formed of metal such as steel or any other suitable material and are secured in fiuid tight relation with the support members 34 in any suitable manner, as by means of a suitable welding operation as indicated at 59. Accordingly the interior 57 of supports 20 is made watertight so as to facilitate the lowering of workment into such supports. While in the .preferred embodiment the support members 30, 32 and 34 define an internal uid-tight compartment 57, it is within the scope of the present invention to have such compartment non fluid-tight. When the members 30, 32 and 34 are telescopically extended to a supporting disposition as shown in Fig. 3, said members will reach to the region of the underwater ground level L', said members being adapted to be secured to the underwater ground in their longitudinally extended supporting disposition by means of the piles 56. From the above it will be apparent that the split rings 55, which are secured to the members 32 and 34, prevent the collapse of the supports 20 and that the lowermost members 34 of each support are rigidly secured to the underwater ground by the piles 56, this arrangement providing a series of extended rigid tubular supports 20 for firmly supporting the barge.

Each of the corresponding members 30, 32 and 34 of the support 20 are rigidly interconnected to each other by the transverse members 60, 62 and 64, respectively, it being apparent that said transverse members provide for the structural rigidillcation and reinforcement of the members 30, 32 and 34 and the uniform raising and lowering thereof. In the illustrated embodiment there are provided four of such members 60 which serve to interconnect the four tubular members 30 and similar arrangements are provided for rigidifying and reinforcing the support members 32 and 34, it being apparent that the companion members 30, 32 and 34 may be structurally rigidified and reinforced in any desired manner. With reference to Fig. 8, it will be observed that the members 60, 62 and 64 interengage each other in the fully contracted disposition of the members 30, 32 and 34 and additionally limit the contracting movement of said members. Subsequent to the securement of the members 30, 32 and 34 in their barge supporting extended disposition, the stop rings 38 are removed from the members 30 in order to provide for relative vertical movement of the barge 12 along the length of the uppermost members 30. When the supports 20 are in their fully contracted con'- dition the outermost members 30 constitute housings for the members 32 and 34. If desired, the support members 30, 32 and 34 may be reversely arranged to the illustrated embodiment with the largest diameter member disposed lowermost. The supports 20 may be disposed in sea-leg fashion in the extended condition thereof, if so desired.

In order to raise the barge 12 when the latter is firmly supported on the tubular supports 20 in the manner described above, from a floating position to a position above the high wave water line as shown in Fig. 3, there is provided a buoyant lifting chamber 70 which is operatively associated with said supports and interconnected with the barge in a manner to be described in detail hereinafter. The chamber 70 may be of any suitable design and construction corresponding to the barge 12 to be lifted thereby and in the illustrated embodiment said chamber is weighted at the lower part thereof as indicated at 72 with any suitable non-shifting material and is provided with an air chamber 74. In the raised positionv of the chamber 70 corresponding to the floating position of the apparatus 10, said chamber is disposed at the bottom of the barge 12 in the compartment 76 dened thereat. The air space 74 of the chamber 70 is adapted to be controllably filled and emptied whereby to control the submersion of said chamber and concomitantly the position of the barge 12 relative to the water line L. With reference to Figs. 4 6, the uppermost support members 30, which project a substantial distance above the water line, have brackets 78 suitably secured thereto, said brackets carrying pulleys 80 which are disposed in diametrically opposed relation on the support members 30. The weighted buoyant chamber 70 is provided with a plurality of brackets 79 corresponding to the number of 4supports 20 and each of said brackets is interconnected with a companion bracket 81 which is suitably fittings 84 being formed complementary to the fittings l 79 and 81. Each of the cables 82 extend over a companion pair of pulleys 80 and interconnect with the chamber 70 with the barge 12. The fittings 84 disposed at the opposite ends of the cable 82 are adapted to be releasably interconnected with the fittings 79 and 81 and during the operation of driving the piles 56 into the underwater ground G, the cables 82 will be released so as to provide substantially unobstructed access into the compartments 57 defined by the supports 20. It is to be noted that the barge 12 is provided with suitable open areas 90 for the extension therethrough of the cables 82 and similarly the deck or platform 18 is provided with openings 92 which are in vertical registry with the openings to provide for the extension therethrough of said cables. In the illustrated embodiment the brackets 81 are in the form of eye bolts which are secured in place by means of nuts 94 which are threaded onto the threaded ends of said bolts. It will be apparent that with the supports 20 secured to the underwater ground G and with the chamber 70 interconnected to the barge 12 as described above, the flooding and emptying of said chamber will be effective to control the submersion thereof and concomitantly the position of said barge relative to the water line. Accordingly, the chamber 70 is adapted to be controllably flooded so as to control the submersion of said chamber in the water and said submersion will be effective to concomitantly raise the barge 12 on the support members 30 on which it is slidably mounted.

Any suitable arrangement may be utilized `for controllably flooding and emptying the space 74 of the chamber 70 and in the illustrated embodiment there is shown a valve 96 which may be controlled in any suitable manner and which is adapted to be opened to admit water into the space 74 to submerge the chamber 70. The

space 74 `of chamber 7l) is adapted to communicate with through the valve 104 with door 98 in a closed condition so as to force the water in the space 74 through a suitable one-way water outlet valve, for example the valve 105. It will be understood that valve 105 is adapted to open under predetermined pressure conditions so as to expel water from the chamber when the latter is su'fliciently pressurized through the valve 104. Eachl of the support members 30 is provided with a peripherally extending stop collar in order to limit the upward movement of the barge 12 on said support members, said stop collars being adapted to coact with the peripheral edge 40 of the members 24.

In order to guide the vertical movement of the chamber 70 relative to the supports 20, there is provided vertically spaced and horizontally aligned pairs of rollers 112 which are carried by brackets 114 suitably affixed to said chamber, it being noted that in the illustrated embodiment there are provided four spaced pairs of such rollers coacting with each of the support members 32. Thus the support members 32 in their extended condition serve as structure for guiding the vertical movement or the ascent and descent of the chamber 70 through the intermediation of the pairs of rollers 112 which are adapted to ride along peripherally spaced portions of said support members.

With reference to Figs. 5 and 11, there is provided an arrangement for regulating the rate of ascent and descent of the chamber, said arrangement being constituted by suitable braking devices 115, one of the latter being associated with each of the support members 32. The braking devices 115, which may- -be of any suitable design and construction, are mounted in relation to the members 32 on the chamber 70 by means of suitable brackets 117, each of said devices having a pinion type toothed wheel 119 which coacts with companion rack type gearing 121 defined in said members. The rotation of each of the wheels 119 and accordingly the braking of the chamber is contro-lled by suitable braking means disposed in the devices 115, said braking means being remotely controlled in any suitable manner, as by mechanical or fluid pressure means. In the illustrated embodiment the vdevices 115 are adapted to be synchronously controlled by the cables 123 which extend in any suitable manner to a control station on the barge.

The drilling apparatus or rig 1@ is further provided with casing structure 116 which defines an opening 118 which extends through the barge 12 and the chamber 70 for the extension therethrough of drilling apparatus 125, said casing structure comprising a pair of longitudinally extensible and contractible telescopically arranged members 120 and 122, the lower member 122 ybeing secured to the chamber 70 for movement in unison therewith. The lower tubular member 22 extends through the chamber 70 so as to define an opening therethrough for the drilling apparatus 125 and said tubular member is secured to the frame members 124 of the chamber 70 in any suitable manner, it being understood that the space 74 defines a water tight compartment. The tubular member 122 is telescopically slidably mounted relative to the upper tubular member 120 in a similar manner as aforedescribed relative to the tubular members 30, 32 and 34 of the supports 20. In the floating position of the chamber 70 as shown in Fig. 7, the end fitting 126 of the member 122 engages the peripheral shoulder 128 of the member 120 so as to limit the contracting movement of member 122 (Fig. 9). The `shoulder 127 of the fitting 126 is adapted to engage the peripheral shoulder 130 of the member 120 in the fully submerged disposition of the chamber 70. The barge 12 is mounted for vertical slidable movement along the length of the member 120, said barge being mounted for said movement by means of the tubular part 132 which constitutes part of the barge structure 12 and which is slidably mounted on said member. The peripherally extending end flange 134 of the member 120 is adapted to limit the vertical movement of the barge relative to the member 120, said flange `being adapted to engage the peripheral edge 136 of the part 132 for limiting the vertical raising movement of the barge relative to the member 120. From the above it will be apparent that the movement of the chamber 70 relative to the barge 12 is effective to effect relative movement between the members 120 and 122, said members being telescopically movable from the fully `contracted position, which is best shown in Fig. 7, to the fully extended position shown in Fig. 3.

In order to provide access to the space 74 of the chamber 70 from the barge 12 and to vent said space, there is provided a plurality of telescopic arranged tubular members 138 and 140 which are similar to the members 120 and 122 aforedescribed. The lower tubular member 140 communicates with the space '74 of the chamber 70 when the door 98 is opened and said member is secured to said chamber for movement in unison therewith in the manner described above relative to the tubular member 122. The barge 12 is slidably vertically movable along the length of the tubular member 138 so as to provide for the raising of said barge from a floating position to a position above the high wave water line in the manner described relative to the tubular member 120, it `being noted that the member 138 is provided with suitable access doors 142 and 143 which are adapted for the access of a worker therethrough, said door 142 ybeing adapted for ready access of a worker therethrough when the barge 12 is elevated to its supported position above the high Wave Water line. Thus the tubular member 140 is adapted to communicate with the interior space 74 of the chamber 7@ and is in fluid tight relation therewith, said member in conjunction with its companion member 138 providing a passageway 151i so that workmen may enter the space 74 from the barge 12. It is to be observed that the chamber 79 when in its fully submerged position as illustrated in Fig. 3, provides an additional substantial stabilizing force for the rm anchorage of the barge 12 above the high wave water line. If desired, the joint between the members 13S and 149 may be made watertight in any suitable manner.

From the above it will be apparent that the barge 12 is vertically slidably movable along the length of the members 3i), 120 and 138 from a oating position to a firmly anchored position above the high wave water line and that the members 122 and 140 which are suitably afiixed to the chamber 70 for movement in unison therewith are telescopically movable relative to their companion members and 138, respectively. It will also be apparent that the above described anchorage arrangement for the marine drilling rig includes supports 20 that are readily and facilely extensible and contractible and are movable between an apparatus supporting disposition and an apparatus fioating disposition and that such supports when in said latter position are disposed so as to substantially minimize the top-heaviness and instability of the apparatus. The provision of the arrangement utilizing a buoyant chamber 70 in the aforedescribed manner for raising and lowering the barge 12 utilizes natural forces and consequently eliminates the need of special machinery normally required for such operations, although it is to be understood that supplementary relatively light machinery may be utilized in conjunction with said chamber for the raising and lowering of the barge. Accordingly the lifting chamber may be utilized for the barge raising and lowering operation by itself or may be supplemented by suitable lifting machinery as where it is not feasible to provide a chamber of sufficient size to perform the lifting operation unaided. The chamber 70 may be of any desired configuration and may be disposed in any desired relation to the barge 12 to be lifted thereby.

Unless otherwise indicated in the claims, the barge lifting arrangement constituted by the chamber 70 and associated structure may be used with barge anchoring means other than the specific barge anchoring means described above.

After the underwater operations are completed at the selected location and the barge has been lowered to a fioating position, the piles 56 may be severed in any suitable manner between the underwater ground level L and the ends 50 of the lowermost members 34 so that the supports 20 may be telescopically contracted as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 whereby the apparatus may be transported by iioatation to another location at which the underwater operations are to be performed.

If desired, the lifting chamber 70 may be lowered to any position down to the underwater ground, subsequent to lifting the barge to its raised position above the water line, in any suitable manner, in which case a sufficient number and length of members corresponding to members 138, 140, and 120, 122 will be utilized to enable said chamber to reach the desired underwater level. If it is desired to lower the chamber 70 below a position corresponding to the raised position of the barge 12, the latter will be anchored in its raised position independent of said chamber in any suitable manner, for example by securing the cables 82 or any other suitable cables or other means connected to the barge to the supports 20, it being apparent that fittings 79 and their companion fittings 84 will be disconnected to permit the chamber to be lowered below a position corresponding to the raised position of the barge. Thereafter the cables'49 of apparatus 47 disposed on deck 18 may be operatively connected to the ttings 79 of the chamber 70 to provide for controllably lowering and raising said chamber between positions below the position corresponding to the anchored raised position of the barge. The top surface of chamber 70 inthe lowered position of the latter may be utilized as a work platform for workmen for severing the piles 56 to permit the contraction of supports 20 as described above or for any other purpose.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiments of my invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made in the idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. In marine apparatus for underwater operations comprising a barge adapted to be transported by floatation on a body of water from one location to another location at which the underwater operations are to be performed; means for rmly supporting said barge above the high wave water line comprising a plurality of laterally spaced vertically extending tubular supports mounted on said barge, each of said supports comprising a plurality of telescopically arranged longitudinally extending tubular support members, said barge being mounted for relative vertical movement along the length of one of said members of each of said supports from a oating position to a position above the high wave water line, said support members being relatively movable from a contracted disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed above the normal water line to a projected supporting disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed below the water line, said support members being adapted to be secured to the underwater ground in said supporting disposition whereby to provide for the rrn support of said barge relative to the underwater ground, and means for raising said barge from a oating position to a position above the high wave water line along the length of said one members when said support members are secured to the underwater ground, said last mentioned means comprising a chamber carried by said barge for movement therewith in the transportation by said otation thereof, said chamber being also movable in relation to said barge from an upper position to a lower submerged position, means for admitting water into said chamber for moving it to said lower position, and cable means connected to said chamber and extending upwardly therefrom to said one member in movable engagement therewith and downwardly of said one member to said barge for raising the latter when said chamber moves downwardly in response to the admission of water thereto, said chamber having means thereon engaging said vertical supports and laterally bracing them when said chamber is in saidV lower position.

2. In marine apparatus prising a barge adapted to a body of water from one for underwater operations combe transported by oatation on location to another location at which the underwater operations are to be performed; means for firmly supporting said barge above the high wave water line comprising a plurality of laterally spaced vertically extending tubular supports mounted on said barge, each of said supports comprising a plurality of telescopically arranged longitudinally extending tubular support members, said barge being mounted for relative vertical movement along the length of one of said members of each of said supports from a floating position to a position above the high wave water line, said support members being relatively movable from a contracted disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed above the normal water line to a projected supporting disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed below the water line, said support members being adapted to be secured to the underwater ground in said supporting disposition whereby to provide for the firm support of said barge relative to the underwater ground, and means for raising said barge from a oating position to a position above the high wave water line along the length of said one members when said support members are secured to the underwater ground, said last mentioned means comprising a chamber carried by said barge for movement therewith in the transportation by said iloatation thereof, said chamber being also movable in relation to said barge from an upper position to a lower submerged position, means for admitting water into said chamber for moving it to said lower position, and cable means connected to said chamber and extending upwardly therefrom to said one member in movable engagement therewith and downwardly of said one member to said barge for raising the latter when said chamber moves downwardly in response to the admission of water thereto, said chamber having means thereon engaging said vertical supports and laterally bracing them when said chamber is in said lower position, said chamber being guided by said vertical supports for movement to and from said upper and lower positions.

3. In marine apparatus for underwater operations comprising a barge adapted to be transported by floatation on a body of water from one location to another location at which the underwater operations are to be performed; means for firmly supporting said barge above the high wave water line comprising a plurality of laterally spaced vertically extending tubular supports mounted on said barge, each of said supports comprising a plurality of telescopically arranged longitudinally extending tubular support members, said barge being mounted for relative vertical movement along the length of one of said members of each of said supports from a oating position to a position above the high wave water line, said support members being relatively movable from a contracted disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed above the normal water line to a projected supporting disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed below the water line, said support members being adapted to be secured to the underwater ground in said supporting disposition whereby to provide for the rm support of said barge relative to the underwater ground, and means for raising said barge from a floating position to a position above the high wave water line along the length of said one members when said support members are secured to the underwater ground, and means including braking means operatively connected between said supports and said chamber and control means therefor for regulating the rate of ascent and descent `of said chamber whereby to regulate the rate of lowering and raising of said apparatus, respectively, relative to the water line.

4. In marine apparatus for underwater operations comprising a barge adapted to be transported by floatation on a body of water from one location to another location at which the underwater operations are to be performed; means for rmly supporting said barge above the high wave water line comprising a plurality of laterally spaced vertically extending tubular supports mounted on said barge, each of said supports comprising a plurality of telescopically arranged longitudinally extending tubular support members, said barge being mounted for relative vertical movement along the length of one of said members of each of said supports from a oating position to a position above the high wave water line, said support members being relatively movable from a contracted disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed above the normal water line to a projected supporting disposition in which said members have substantial lengths thereof disposed below the water line, said support members being adapted to be secured to the underwater ground in said supporting disposition whereby to provide for the firm support of said barge 11 relative to the underwater ground, and means for raising said barge from a floating position to a position above the high wave water line along the length of said one members when said support members are secured to the underwater ground, said last mentioned means comprising a chamber carried by said barge for movement therewith in the transportation by said oatation thereof, said chamber being also movable in relation to said barge from an upper position to a lower submerged position means for admitting water into said chamber for moving it to said lower position, and cable means connected to said chamber and extending upwardly therefrom to said one member in movable engagement therewith and downwardly of said yone member to said barge for raising the latter when said chamber moves downwardly in response to the admission of water thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 710,170 Weindorf Sept. 30 ,1902 2,531,983 McCoy Nov. 28, 1950 2,589,146 Samuelson Mar. 11, 1952 2,592,448 McMenimen Apr. 8, 1952 2,600,761 Halliburton June 17, 1952 2,771,747 Rechtin Nov. 27, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 3,927 Great Britain of 1868 1,944 Great Britain Apr. 24, 1882 

